The smell of hot steaming idly in a bowl of sambar is nothing short of divine and anyone from a south Indian background would admit to the fact. This famous staple food of South Indians has taken flight to countries around the world and are available today in varieties and flavours like millet idly, rava idly, and are even sold as readymade mix packs in retails. The secret to perfect fluffy idlies is a known secret- the right proportion of ingredients and the right amount of fermented batter.
The main reasons for idly to still remain the star of many Indian household are its ease of making, filling nature and its nutritious content. Idly steamers are definitely a life saver for Indian mothers. All it takes to feed a batch of people is to steam the ready-to-use fermented batter in the idly steamer for about 10minutes, and voila, a filling, healthy breakfast for the whole family is ready. The best thing about an idly steamer is that its quite inexpensive, no-manual-needed, ease to use and handle, and are most importantly multi-purpose cookware as they can be used to make multiple items like idiyappam, momos, puttu, dhokla, etc.
Before we buy a idly steamer, it’s important to keep these things in mind:
- Number of idly plates that come complementary with the idly cooker
- Material of the idly maker
- If it is a multi-purpose utensil or not
- Warranty
- Induction stove compatibility
While there are a hell lot of idly steamers available in the market, here is a list of carefully selected, bestselling, customer favorite brands that are ruling the market. Let’s take a look at what makes these idly steamers a go-to for idly lovers.
GO-TO BRANDS OF IDLY STEAMERS:
- SunBrand
- Hawkins
- Pigeon
- Prestige
- Butterfly
- Sowbhagya
All these brands have an edge over the others available in the market not only because they are best sellers, but also because of their impeccable performance in the kitchen and durability.
SUNBRAND IDLY STEAMERS:
Though new to the retail market space, aluminum idly steamer are for both commercial and domestic use. They sell whole sets of idly steamers and also separate idly trays in varying sizes to choose from. As they pioneer in aluminium fabrications, most of their kitchen wares come in the same material. Their anodized aluminium make is a smart choice in recent times. They are durable, light in weight, food safe, affordable and are easy to use. Their idly steamer caters to the need to feed many people at once. They are sturdy with workable weight, and have plates ranging from 4 to 12 that can be used to make 36 to 108 idlies in one go, respectively.
HAWKINS IDLY STEAMERS:
For people looking for just the idly plates and not the whole idly maker set, Hawkins offers this option as well where one can choose to buy just the stainless steel plates. They are extremely affordable and budget friendly. They also have whole stainless steel set for making idlies, which are durable, food-safe, and light weight. It also comes with a good range of warranty and their servicing is undoubtedly satisfying.
PIGEON IDLY STEAMERS:
Established in the year 1999, it’s a well known home and kitchen appliances brand. With idly steamers ranging from stainless steel to non-stick, they provide quite a variety to choose from. They are innovative and of premium construction. Their idly steamers are really sturdy with high durability due to a thicker gauge make of the cookers. Their cookers are ideal for induction cook top too. The steamers are also multipurpose with separable plates that can be used according to the user’s requirement. They are rust proof and have an elegant, easy to clean design. One particular thing of concern is that, most of their idly steamers come with a 6 months warranty instead of a long period of at least a year.
PRESTIGE IDLY STEAMERS:
The TTK Prestige cook wares are well known name in the Indian households because of their long time in the Indian cookware industry. They provide idly steamers that are made of 304 grade stainless steel, making it utterly food safe, durable and easy to handle. They have idly plates ranging from 2 to 6, according to the need of the customer. With steam vent and user friendly handles, they make an excellent addition to an idly loving home.
BUTTERFLY IDLY STEAMERS:
Butterfly offers idly makers for both standard and induction stoves. Made up of stainless steel, the safest cooking material option, they can make upto 24 idlies in one go with a capacity to hold upto 6 plates in the maker. With user friendly curvy finish and insulated handles, they come in different capacities from which we can choose. They are sturdy with mirror bright polish to enhance the look of the cookware. The best thing about Butterfly idly steamers is the presence of a whistle that notifies the user once the idly is perfectly cooked, hence nullifying the need to manually check if the idlies are ready or not. It is certified as rust free and the addition of Bakelite handles have reduced any worry of carefully handling the idly cooker. Though it doesn’t come with warranty, they are good to make big idlies for a reliable period of time.
SOWBHAGYA IDLY STEAMERS:
The Sowbhagya idly steamers are made up of food grade stainless steel that is sure to suit the preference of most users. It is suitable to be used on both induction and gas stoves to make fluffy idlies within few minutes. They also come with heat resistant Bakelite handles, making them highly user friendly. They ideally come with 6 plates that can make 24 idlies at a time. It also contains the whistle used to indicate that the idlies are cooked thoroughly. The washing and storing procedures are also quite easy and do not require any special care.
Now that you have read through this through review of idly makers from some of the top Indian brands, go ahead, get your hands on one of these and enjoy delicious and healthy hot steamed idlies with sambar and chutney.